Fire damages building east of Maricopa

Smoldering fire climbs up wall, into space between ceiling and second floor

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Taft Midway Driller - Taft, CA

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Posted Dec. 13, 2012 at 2:42 PM
Updated Dec 13, 2012 at 2:45 PM

Posted Dec. 13, 2012 at 2:42 PM
Updated Dec 13, 2012 at 2:45 PM

Fire caused about $20,000 damage to a two-story building east of Maricopa Thursday morning.

The fire was reported at 9 a.m. in a building owned by Sun Pacific on the south side of Highway 166 about 7 miles east of Maricopa.

Kern County Fire Capt. Chris Hoover said firefighters found smoke coming from the metal storage and office building when the arrived and waited for additional engines before making entry because of a possible backdraft situation.

When they entered, they found a fire had started near and electrical outlet on the first floor and then spread up the wall and into the space between ceiling second floor.

When they cleared the smoke, they found the fire had burned a large hole in the second floor.

Hoover said the fire had apparently been smoldering for some time.

Engines from Taft, Maricopa, Old River and Mettler responded to the fire.